Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-26
LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR.
a Land Where IL IL Never Too Hot
and Never TOO cold.


Montevideo. the capital of Uruguay
and its chief city, is AS favorably located
as any place in the world, says IA writer
in the November number of Jumpers
Na1dzinc On narrow tongue of lime
stone rock like the back of IA whale it
stretches ont from the coast, with the
Atlantic Ocean one side and the Rio de
de In Plata on the other. The streets
are like a series of terraces. not only
giving the most perfect natural drainage,
but furnishing nearly every residence
with a vista of the river or the sea.
When it isn't June III Uruguay it is
October-seldom too hot, and never too
cold. During the summer season the
people of Buenos Ayres come over for
the sea bathing. and the city is very gay.
4 prevalent taste which inspires the
owners of these villas to paint them in
gay colors red pink, purple, green,
and orange-is being somewhat modified
by foreign travel, and of late years the
Quintas as well rs the city houses are
taking on more sombre hues. There are
more beautiful and costly residences and
business blocks in Montevideo than in
any other South American city except
Santiago, the capital of Chill. Consider
able carved marble is used, but the stand
ard building material is sun-dried brick,
and the walls are usually from two to
three feet in thickness. tire-prOof, and
impenetrable TO heat and dampness.
The Church of the Mother, the Cattle
dral of Uruguay, is the largest and
finest building in the country. There
are three theatres an Italian opera sub
sidized by the Government; bull-rinG
which is crowded every Sunday after
noon, under the patronage OF the presi-
dent and the aristocracy number of
clubs public library with 10000 vol
umes, mostly Spanish historical and po-
litcal works museum a university
which is the summit of free-school
system, and all the etceteras of modern
civilization. The ladies dress i'll
the height of the Paris fashion,
the shops contain everything that
can tempt the taste Of an eXtraya-
CANT people, there are dinner parties and
balls, and time is improved or wasted as
it is in Paris OF Madrid. The gentle
men go to their contingencies at in
the morning, when their wives and
daughters go to mass. At ii they return
10 their homes for breakfast of seven
or eight courses, then take a siesta, go
back to their business about 3, work un-
til 6, and dine with great formality at T.
The ladies' of Uruguay are famous for
their beauty and fine comprehensive
blessing of the atmosphere; but after
thirty they lose their symmetry of form,
which is doubtless owing to their indo-
lence.
Street-cars run everywhere and pay
big dividends, for no Spanish-American
ever walks when he can ride. Even the
beggars are literally on horseback, and
the stranger is often startled by ragged
and dirty creature galloping up to him,
and asking i'll piteous voice, For the
love of Jesus, gentleman, give me a
farthiug to buy bread" The national
drink, for which he will undoubtedly
spend this. is called cana, and is made
from the fermenied juice of the sugar
cane. 1t contains 90 per cent of alco-
hol, and is sold at two cents a
goblet, 80 that spree is within
the reach OF the poorest man. All
goods are delivered from the shops by
/ horsemen, for there is not cart IN town.
When you hire a carriage, for which you
are expected TO pay 81 an hour, peon-
called "chancadero runs along be-
side it the entire distance, no matterhow
great, so that he may get fee for open
/ ing the door when you reach your des-
I tnation. He is actually foOtman and
is never allowed TO ride beside the driver,
who is OF better caste and regards him
self as a superior being No hackman
will ever get OFF his box, and if You re-
fuse a medic Is cents TO the "chanca-
| dero - you are a miserable sponge.
The city is lighted by electricity, and
more than 300 telephones we're in use in
1885. Gambling Is the national vice,
and men, women, and children selling
/ lottery tickets are as thick as newsboys
IN the cities OF the States. The porter
/ at the hotel informs you that he is sup
| Piled with tickets for all the drawings ;
the clerk at the store where You trade in
yites you 10 invest the change he hands
you 10 his favoritc lottery, and tells you
that "A lady who bought a ticket of him
drew prize OF $4,000 last month.
One OF the curious customs is the man
ufacture of butter. The dairyman pours
the milk warm from the COW INTO an in
Hated pig or goat-skin, bitches it TO his
saddle by long lasso, and gallops five
or six miles into town with the milk sack
pounding along on the road behind him.
When he reaches the city his churning
is over, the butter is made, and he ped
dies il from door to door, dipping out the
quantity desired by each family with a
large wooden spoon.
The city Of MoDtevideo has popula-
ton OF about l25, 900 souls, and twenty
three daily newspapers.